Hello blog friends ~
I suspect most of us are preparing for the holidays. 🎄 Like many, I will be traveling to see family and friends. The car's been serviced, the suitcase awaits my clothes, and gifts mount in a cardboard box.
Wherever you might be this next week, I hope you experience much laughter and precious joy. Holiday blessing to you and yours! ❤️
I suspect most of us are preparing for the holidays. 🎄 Like many, I will be traveling to see family and friends. The car's been serviced, the suitcase awaits my clothes, and gifts mount in a cardboard box.
Wherever you might be this next week, I hope you experience much laughter and precious joy. Holiday blessing to you and yours! ❤️
Willow is the host this week for Tanka Tuesday. She invites us to focus on empathy and compassion for our holiday poem contribution. That's an easy assignment for me.
These past several months, I've focused on a novel featuring Veterans. I've learned immensely since I began this project. For instance, according to the VA News, on a single night in January 2024, 32,882 Veterans experienced homelessness in the U.S., and as horrifying as that is, 5.5 million Veterans have service-connected disabilities--per Global Statistics.
When I read these stats, I was brought back to the early 2000s, when I worked at a college campus near Camp Pendleton. On holidays, I'd invite a couple of Marine recruits to my home for dinner. They'd often share why they enlisted. Most came from a struggling household and wanted financial security and life skills. Yes, they enlisted to serve their country, but circumstances often drove their decision.
A couple of years later, a wave of soldiers and Marines returned from Afghanistan and Iraq and enrolled in the college at which I worked. I saw their struggles and injuries firsthand. They had literally just left the hell of war and were placed on a campus of privileged young people -- two very different realities. I quickly created a Veterans Center, where they could congregate, feel safe, and help each other.
The years assisting these courageous young warriors remain sacred to me and have had a lasting impact. The Vets wrote a letter on my behalf when I retired and referred to me as their mom-away-from-home -- the highest honor I've ever received.
My poem...
These past several months, I've focused on a novel featuring Veterans. I've learned immensely since I began this project. For instance, according to the VA News, on a single night in January 2024, 32,882 Veterans experienced homelessness in the U.S., and as horrifying as that is, 5.5 million Veterans have service-connected disabilities--per Global Statistics.
When I read these stats, I was brought back to the early 2000s, when I worked at a college campus near Camp Pendleton. On holidays, I'd invite a couple of Marine recruits to my home for dinner. They'd often share why they enlisted. Most came from a struggling household and wanted financial security and life skills. Yes, they enlisted to serve their country, but circumstances often drove their decision.
A couple of years later, a wave of soldiers and Marines returned from Afghanistan and Iraq and enrolled in the college at which I worked. I saw their struggles and injuries firsthand. They had literally just left the hell of war and were placed on a campus of privileged young people -- two very different realities. I quickly created a Veterans Center, where they could congregate, feel safe, and help each other.
The years assisting these courageous young warriors remain sacred to me and have had a lasting impact. The Vets wrote a letter on my behalf when I retired and referred to me as their mom-away-from-home -- the highest honor I've ever received.
My poem...
photo by Canva
A few great organizations that help Veterans:
Gary Sinise Foundation
Homes for Our Troops
Wounded Warrior Project
Semper Fi & America's Fund
PVA: Paralyzed Veterans of America
Gary Sinise Foundation
Homes for Our Troops
Wounded Warrior Project
Semper Fi & America's Fund
PVA: Paralyzed Veterans of America
I close this post with a thoughtful tribute and my wishes for a very blessed holiday season. God bless each of you. ❤️
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